Breastfeeding Experience

Should I breastfeed? How long should I breastfeed? How do I wean from breast to bottle? These are all questions most mothers ask themselves.

I found breastfeeding a hard and very personal topic to talk about. There are so many opinions out there on breastfeeding. Giving up breastfeeding was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make so far.

As I've previously said, I'm a sociable, fun person and I didn't enjoy most of my pregnancy. I knew I wanted to breastfeed and I always thought I would breastfeed for at least three months.

It's funny, because prior to giving birth I was clueless about breastfeeding, I didn't even know that in order to stop breastfeeding you have to wean your baby off breast milk and that your milk production is based on supply and demand. Latching was a new concept to me and I was scared I would be unable to do it. I had also never heard of engorged breasts, which I unfortunately experienced once.

I initially found breastfeeding very restricting. I like freedom and initially until I became more comfortable, I felt that I had to watch where I was going and when to feed Charles, as I only felt comfortable feeding Charles in a private place, i.e. my home. I was self-conscious breastfeeding in public. I was also lazy when it came to expressing.

I was very lucky that I had Elizabeth, as without her I would have struggled to have Charles latch on. She also taught me everything I needed to know about expressing. She was also there for me when I was confused about how long I wanted to breastfeed for. Having her there to discuss this with me helped me enormously and also made me feel less guilty about not enjoying it as much as others or about wanting to finish breastfeeding.
It is safe to say I struggled with how long I really wanted to do it for. Breastfeeding also became the subject I read most about and researched. I mainly researched the pros and cons of breastfeeding and for how long you need to do it for. This helped me decide after two and a half months that I was ready to start weaning Charles from breast to bottle.

Ironically, soon after I started to wean Charles off breast milk, feeding him became easier and I also started to bond more with him during feeds. Nevertheless, I had made my decision and once my weaning process started I noticed that my milk started to dry up quickly. I do wonder if I gave up too quickly.
Every mother is different and should do what feels right for her and what makes her happy. I believe a happy mummy is a happy baby and since having Charles I really have come to witness that.

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